Ava DuVernay: “Oprah told me that everything that happens to you is not happening to you, it’s happening for you.”

Dana Delany: “Trust your instincts — but the caveat is you don’t usually know what those are until you’re much older.”

Sandra Bernhard: “When I was starting off, my mentor Paul Mooney said, ‘Bernhard, shed your skin.’ In other words, get closer to who you really are as a performer. But I think it’s good advice for people in life.”

Veronica Roth: “My mom used to tell me, ‘Other people are not thinking about you as much as you are.’”

Laverne Cox: “I think for trans folks, the struggle is, even as we want to transition and be better versions of ourselves, we have to love who we are today.”

Rene Russo: “You have to maneuver in this world. You have to look at another person and go, ‘What is it they need?’ You can use that to ultimately get what you want.”

Chita Rivera: “Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, with grace and humility. Be a sponge — and absorb and learn.”